The Chicago Board of Education has revoked the charter of the storied Urban Prep Academy schools in Bronzeville and Englewood and, over howls of local protest, cleared the way for a hostile takeover by the bureaucrats of Chicago Public Schools.
That takeover is now under appeal. An appeal the school should win. Otherwise, this is a destabilizing disaster for the young Black men who are proud to attend those schools on their way to colleges and universities.
We think both Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker should step in to preserve what everyone can agree has been a remarkably successful educational experience for those students. Both of these politicians often use words such as “equity” but that’s empty rhetoric if it involves sacrificing educational excellence for students who were born in privilege.
